Excitement expected to be back at this year's auto show

Updated 9:41 pm, Monday, January 23, 2012

The 2012 Houston Auto Show, like those in recent years, will display hundreds of shiny cars, trucks and concepts. However, this year's show may feel different — as in more upbeat.

After surviving everything from a tsunami to financial upheaval, carmakers appear to be back on their feet and bullish on their new crop of vehicles. In recent years, “it was really depressing” at auto shows, said Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry trends at TrueCar.com, a new-car pricing website. “The talk was about who's going out of business?” he said. “We're finally talking about cars again — the excitement over amazing cars. It feels like we're back in business.”

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Displaying more than 500 vehicles, the Auto Show runs Wednesday through Sunday at Reliant Center.

Among the Texas debuts will be the redesigned Ford Fusion, named “Best in Show” by Auto Week at the recent Detroit Auto Show; the redesigned Ford Escape; Chrysler's Dodge Dart; two Cadillacs, the XTS and ATS; five new BMWs; Mazda's compact crossover CX-5; the 5-door Subaru Impreza; Toyota's Prius C; and Scion's FR-S Sema.

The Houston show also will debut the “Ultra Luxury Boutique,” featuring a Lamborghini Aventador and other super premium cars from brands such as Rolls Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati and Porsche.

Although far from soaring, the U.S. economy is vastly improved, creating a much better climate to sell cars, analysts say.

Across the board manufacturers are optimistic, Toprak said. Domestic companies Chrysler, Ford and GM have launched big comebacks; European manufacturers are thriving; and Hyundai and Kia have dramatically increased their market share, he noted. And Toyota and Honda are expected to bounce back from last year's natural disasters after posting sales declines last year, Toprak said.

Car manufacturers are posting bigger profits than they did in decades past because they have gotten better at making products people actually want to buy and are operating with greater cost efficiencies, said Dave Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D. Power & Associates.

Toyota faced big challenges last year. The earthquake and tsunami had a big impact on the company, but it recovered quickly, said Frank Bianchi, a spokesman for Houston-based Gulf States Toyota, one of the nation's largest distributors of Toyota vehicles and parts.

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What: More than 500 new vehicles, including Texas debuts and concept cars.